Advances in networking technology have led to the use of computer networks for a wide variety of applications, such as sending and receiving electronic mail, browsing Internet web pages, exchanging business data, and the like. As the use of computer networks proliferates, the technology upon which these networks are based has become increasingly complex.
Data is typically sent over a network in small packages called “packets,” which may be routed over a variety of intermediate network nodes before reaching their destination. These intermediate nodes (e.g., routers, switches, and the like) are often complex computer systems in their own right, and may include a variety of specialized hardware and software components.
For example, some network nodes may include one or more network processors for processing packets for use by higher-level applications. Network processors are typically comprised of a variety of components, including one or more processing units, memory units, buses, controllers, and the like.
In some systems, different components may be designed to handle blocks of data of different sizes. For example, a processor may operate on 32-bit blocks of data, while a bus connecting the processor to a memory unit may be able to transport 64-bit blocks. Similarly, many computing and networking standards indicate that data should be stored in one format, while other standards, architectures, and conventions indicate that data should be processed in a different format. For example, many networking standards deal with data streams of 8-bit bytes, while many computing architectures process data in 16, 32, or 64-bit words. As a result, proper translation between the differing data formats is generally needed to ensure efficient and/or correct operation of the system.